Industry Update

Monsanto’s Roundup PROMAX Smart Car traveled the country for nearly a year, making stops at landscape and lawn industry events from coast to coast. The car made its final stop in Charleston, Ill., where it was awarded to John Ingle, a groundskeeper at Eastern Illinois University and home lawn care enthusiast. Ingle learned of the national contest to win the two-passenger coupe in Turf magazine.

New England Grows to Feature Extreme Education

More than 30 groundbreaking educational sessions are planned for New England Grows, scheduled for February 3-5, 2010, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Boston, Mass. The 2010 educational program is focused on sustainable, practical techniques that can immediately impact the bottom line. Sessions highlight new methods for battling insect pests and plant disease, eco-friendly landscape design, bare root transplanting, rigging techniques for arborists and new water conservation methods. Retail merchandising and trend-spotting sessions will be featured, alongside plant-focused sessions highlighting new perennials, annuals and turf selection.

Natural Industries Names SipcamAdvan as Distributor

Natural Industries, Houston, Texas, announced a partnership with SipcamAdvan to distribute Actinovate biological fungicide in select markets in the United States. SipcamAdvan will have exclusive distribution rights for Actinovate in the turfgrass, potato, sugar beet, soybean, peanut, alfalfa, clover, corn, small grain and oilseeds markets.

New Invasive Pest Found in Westchester County

An exotic invasive pest from Asia, the brown marmorated stink bug, was found in southern Westchester County, N.Y., and was confirmed by Cornell University. The BMSB is relatively new to North America. It was first identified in Pennsylvania in 2001, but was likely around before then. It is known to be a pest of fruit trees, legumes and vegetables, and has been found feeding on ornamental plants. For more information, visit www.ncipmc.org/alerts/stinkbug.cfm or http://www.njaes.rutgers.edu/stinkbug/about.asp.

Stens Launches Live Tech Chat

Stens has added a new Live Tech Chat feature to its Web site at www.stens.com. The feature puts customers in touch with a Stens tech when a parts search is unsuccessful. Technical assistance is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST.

Big John Ships Equipment to Iraq

Big John Tree Transplanter Mfg., Inc. announced the shipment of an order of equipment to a customer in Iraq. The order included seven model 90Ds mounted on new Mack truck chassis. In addition to Iraq, Big John has entered markets in Russia, Mongolia, Vietnam, Ukraine, Spain, United Kingdom, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Canada and Mexico.

Bird-X Awarded Highest Rating from Better Business Bureau

Bird-X, Inc. announced that it has received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Since 1964, Bird-X has provided humane, environmentally friendly pest and bird repellent products.

Gill to Keynote WaterSmart Innovations Conference

Dr. Jim Gill will be the keynote luncheon speaker at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference & Exposition, scheduled for October 7-9, 2009, in Las Vegas, Nev. He is the inaugural chairman of Water Australia and past CEO of the Water Corp. of Western Australia. Gill holds degrees from the University of Western Australia, University of Cambridge and Harvard University.

Traffic to Landscape Curbing Search Site Grows

Following a quiet winter, traffic to Tygar Mfg., LLC’s landscape curbing search Web site (www.CurbingLocator.org) increased during the spring, recording over 248,000 hits and nearly 50,000 page views this year. The site allows visitors to search their zip code for the closest Tygar Certified Contractor and provides information about curbing and a picture gallery.

Smithsonian archivists look over records from Bobcat.

Bobcat Donates Records to Smithsonian

Bobcat Co. donated 56 cubic feet of records to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The donation includes corporate records relating to American manufacturing and marketing, as well as business development. A selection of the records is scheduled to be on display from November 30 to January 17, 2010. Bobcat was founded in 1947 as Melroe Mfg. Co. in Gwinner, N.D.

SafeLawns Launches “Get Your Grass off Gas” Campaign

The SafeLawns Foundation, in conjunction with Black & Decker, launched the “Get Your Grass off Gas” campaign to educate homeowners about caring for their lawns and yards without using gas-powered equipment. The campaign will include media appearances, public service announcements and Web-based educational information, including downloadable handouts and how-to videos.

Jacobsen hosted 35 students from universities across the United States at the three-day Future Turf Managers program at its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. The students are all in four-year turf-related study programs and were recommended by their professors. Almost 700 students have participated in the program since its inception in the 1970s.

News from John Deere

Deere & Co.’s board of directors elected Samuel R. Allen as president, chief operating officer, board member and chief executive officer. A 34-year veteran of John Deere, Allen has been president of the Worldwide Construction & Forestry Division since 2005 and has been responsible for the global operations of the Deere Power Systems Group since 2003. Other senior executive moves include Michael J. Mack Jr. to the position of president of the Construction & Forestry Division; James M. Field to senior vice president and chief financial officer; and Jean Gilles to senior vice president of Deere Power Systems Group, Deere Intelligent Mobile Equipment Technologies and Advanced Technology & Innovation.

John Deere announced two new Russian dealers, affirming its commitment to growing the Russian and Commonwealth of Independent States markets. The dealers, Moscow-based Universal Spetstechnica and Krasnodar-based Agro-Construction Technologies, will cover much of Russia.

The “Power Lift” video went live on John Deere’s www.skidsteersmackdown.com Web site. For this event, contractors used different brands of compact track loaders from the same size class to lift a heavy concrete block above a bar positioned four feet in the air—without the tracks coming off the ground.

Telogis Launches GeoZone

Telogis launched GeoZone, a free resource for GeoBase developers. Registered members of GeoZone gain access to the latest releases of the GeoBase Software Development Kit, sample map data, sample code, tutorials and white papers. Additionally, Telogis has assembled a premier list of partners from the Location-Based Services ecosystem to provide additional technical resources and samples of their products. GeoZone is available at http://www.geozone.geobase.info.

Lebanon Adds Industry Veterans, Supports PLANET Event

Lebanon Seaboard named Ken Bevillard as director of business development for its consumer products division. Previously, he was a vice president for Hydro Industries. With more than 25 years’ experience in the consumer lawn and garden industry, he holds a degree in food marketing from St. Joseph’s University.

Lebanon also named Tom Lokitus as product manager in the consumer products division. He comes to Lebanon from Woodstream Corp. Lokitus graduated from Cleveland State University and received a master’s degree in marketing from Kutztown University.

Mike Sisti, marketing manager for LebanonTurf, participated in the Professional Landcare Network’s Renewal & Remembrance project at Arlington National and Historic Congressional cemeteries. Sisti was accompanied by his two sons, Michael, 6, and Andrew, 3, who joined other children in planting flowers and laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Pat Buckley was promoted to engineering services manager in the engineering department of Foley, Inc.’s Power Systems division. Buckley joined Foley in 2005 and holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a master’s in energy management from the New York Institute of Technology.

Judy Lahrman was transferred to the product support department as a customer support agreement account representative. She has been with Foley since 2000 and has held the positions of administrative assistant, machinery sales coordinator and rents account manager.

Sean Fallon has joined Foley as an inside sales engineer. He graduated from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and most recently worked for ISO.

New Orbit/Evergreen Pocket Catalog Released

A new pocket-sized lighting catalog with hundreds of indoor and outdoor fixtures in a range of styles and models is now available from Orbit/Evergreen, a division of Orbit/UMI. The catalog includes four-color photos of all fixtures and detailed specifications for low-voltage landscape lighting and accessories; line voltage outdoor fixtures; wall packs and high-intensity discharge lights; high and low bay fixtures; plus a wide selection of illuminated exit and emergency signs.

TenCate Appoints New Master Distributor

TenCate named Lancer Textiles as master distributor for its industrial fabrics division. Lancer’s role will be to service TenCate customers who may not be able to meet the minimum order quantity requirement.

Horizon Distributors’ BizPro eSour­ces offers tips and solutions designed to help irrigation and landscape professionals educate their customers about smart watering practices. Professionals can visit Biz­Pro eSources at http://www.bizpro.horizononline.com to download a water savings calculation worksheet that can be used to determine how much water can be saved by installing a smart water controller.

IPNI Elects New Officers, Adds to Staff

The International Plant Nutrition Institute elected new officers. Mike Wilson, president and CEO of Agrium, Inc., Calgary, Alb., was elected chairman of the board of directors for a two-year term. Joachim Felker is the new vice chairman and Stephen R. Wilson was re-elected chair of the finance committee. Dr. Terry L. Roberts continues as president.

Dr. Armando S. Tasistro has joined IPNI’s staff as communications specialist, based at the headquarters office in Norcross, Ga. Most recently, he was a research scientist at the University of Georgia, Athens. He received a bachelor’s degree in agronomy at the University of Uruguay at Montevideo, a master’s degree in weed science at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a doctorate in soil fertility at the University of Georgia.